Device for securing yarn during stoppage of the spinning mechanism for the continuous ringless spinning of textile fibers



Aug. 8, 1967 K. MIKULECKY ETAL 3, DEVICE FOR SECURING YARN DURING STOPPAGE OF THE SPINNING MECHANISM FOR THE CQNTINUOUS RINGLESS SPINNING OF TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TORL Aug. 8, 1967 K. MIKULECKY ETAL DEVICE FOR 3,334,479 SECURING YARN DURING STOPPAGE 0F THE SPINNING MECHANISM FOR THE CONTINUOUS RINGLESS SPINNING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent T 3,334,479 DEVICE FOR SECURING YARN DURING STOP- PAGE OF THE SPINNING MECHANISM FOR THE CONTINUOUS RINGLESS SPINNING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS Karel Mikulecky, Chocen, Jiii Elias, Brandys nad Orlici, and Jan Holub, Zamel, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Vyzkumny Ustav Bavlnarsky, Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia Filed Mar. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 621,332 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia, Mar. 11, 1966, 1,626/66 13 Claims. (Cl. 57-34) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device influenced by the air pressure in a spinning chamber for preventing, during stopping of rotation of the spinning chamber, withdrawal of yarn from the outlet passage thereof and including gripping means movable between a gripping position gripping a portion of a yarn passing through the outlet passage and a releasing position .permitting free movement of the yarn through and beyond the outlet passage in such a manner that said gripping means will be in the releasing position during rotation of the spinning chamber and maintenance of subatmospheric pressure therein, and in said gripping position when the spinning chamber is at standstill and atmospheric pressure is maintained therein.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to a device for preventing withdrawal of yarn from the outlet passage of a spinning mechanism for continuous ringless spinning of textile fibers equipped with an underpressure spinning chamber during stoppage of rotation of the spinning chamber.

During stoppage of rotation of the spinning chamber of a spinning machine for continuous ringless spinning of textile fibers there is always the danger that the end of the yarn forming in the spinning chamber is withdrawn therefrom during stopping of rotation of the latter, even if the means for withdrawing the yarn from the spinning chamber are stopped simultaneously with stopping of the spinning chamber. Such withdrawal of the yarn end may be due to air streams passing about the spinning mechanism which usually is provided with suction means for removing lint or dust therefrom. When the yarn end is removed from the spinning chamber by drafts or the like, it is necessary to manually reintroduce the yarn end into the spinning chamber again when the spinning process is to be continued. Such manual introduction of the yarn end into the spinning chamber is difficult and time-consuming.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of spinning mechanism of the aforementioned kind and to provide for a device which prevents withdrawal of the yarn end from the spinning chamber during stopping of rotation of the latter.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a device of the aforementioned kind which is composed of relatively few and simple parts so that the device may be manufactured at reasonable cost and will operate troublefree under extended use.

Summary of the invention With these objects in view, the device according to the present invention for preventing, during stopping of a spinning mechanism for continuous ringless spinning of textile fibers in a rotatable spinning chamber in which 3,334,479 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 subatmospheric pressure is produced. during rotation thereof, withdrawal of yarn from the outlet passage of the spinning chamber, which device .mainly comprises gripping means in the region of the outlet end of the outlet passage and being movable between a gripping position gripping a portion of yarn passing through the outlet passage and releasing position permitting free movement of the yarn through and beyond the outlet passage, wherein the gripping means is constructed so as to tend to stay in the gripping position, and operating means influenced by the air pressure: in the spinning chamber and cooperating with the gripping means to move the latter to the releasing position when, during rotation of the spinning chamber, a subatmospheric pressure is produced therein so that the gripping mechanism will be in the gripping position during the standstill of the spinning chamber.

The gripping means may comprise a gripping member movable between the aforementioned position thereof and biasing means cooperating with the gripping member to yieldably maintain the latter in the gripping position thereof.

The operating means may comprise pneumatic means communicating with the spinning chamber and cooperating with the gripping member for moving the latter to the releasing position when, during rotation of the spinning chamber, subatmospheric pressure is created therein.

The gripping member may be constituted by a twoarmed lever pivoted intermediate the ends thereof and having at one end a gripping portion movable toward and away from a fixed member so as to grip, when in the gripping position, a portion of the yarn between the gripping portion and the fixed member, while in the releasing position the gripping portion of the lever is spaced from the fixed member so that a. yarn may freely pass therebetween. The operating means in this arrangement may comprise a cylinder communicating with the interior of the spinning chamber and a piston slidably guided in the cylinder and connected to the other end of the lever for tilting the same about the tilting axis between the positions thereof depending on the pressure in the spinning chamber and corresponding pressure in the cylinder. The biasing means in this arrangement pref erably comprise a spring which is connected to the lever in such a manner so as to yieldably maintain the latter in the gripping position.

On the other hand, the gripping means may include a piston having an end face and a stationary member having a face opposite the end face of the piston and spaced therefrom when the piston is in the releasing position. In this arrangement the piston is slidably guided in a cylinder which is in communication with the interior of the spinning chamber so that during rotation of the spinning chamber and creation of a subatmospheric pressure therein the piston is moved to its releasing position, and biasing means are provided cooperating with the piston for yieldably biasing the same into the gripping position in which a portion of the yarn passing through the outlet passage of the spinning chamber is gripped between the aforementioned faces. The piston may be formed from magnetizable material, and the stationary member may be in the form of a magnet, for instance a permanent magnet, so that the stationary member constitutes also the biasing means biasin the gripping member in form of the piston to the gripping position thereof. On the other hand, the biasing means may also be in this case constituted by a spring engaging the piston so as to bias the same continuously toward the stationary member.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description the drawing FIG. 1 is a schematic, sectioned side view of one embodiment of a spinning mechanism for continuous ringless spinning provided with a device according to the present invention for preventing withdrawal of the yarn from the outlet passage of the spinning chamber during stopping of rotation of the latter, in which the device is shown in the releasing position;

FIG. 2 is a partial, sectioned side view similar to FIG. 1 and showing the device in the gripping position;

FIG. 3 is a schematic, sectioned side view of a spinning mechanism and provided with a device for gripping the yarn during standstill of the spinning chamber, which device differs from the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, the device being shown in FIG. 3 in the releasing position;

FIG. 4 is a partial, sectioned side view similar to FIG. 3 and showing the device in the gripping position thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a partial, sectioned side view similar to FIG. 4 and showing a slight modification of the device.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to the drawing and more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the same, there is illustrated a mechanism for continuous ringless spinning of textile fibers which includes a spinning chamber 2 of known construction rotatable by means not shown in the drawing about a preferably vertical axis, which spinning chamber has an open bottom end into which textile fibers 1 to be spun are introduced by means known in the art. The spinning chamber 2 is provided with a plurality of radially extending air discharge openings 15 so that during fast rotation of the spinning chamber about its axis, air is discharged through the openings 15, whereby a subatmospheric pressure is created in the space 13 in the interior of the spinning chamber. The textile fibers 1 introduced into the spinning chamber are thereby sucked against the inner peripheral surface thereof and during fast rotation of the spinning chamber about its axis spun in a known manner into a yarn which is continuously withdrawn through the tubular outlet passage 4 in a known manner, for instance by being passed between withdrawing roller 16, one of which is rotated in the appropriate direction and the yarn 3 is then wound to a bobbin 17.

When during stopping of rotation of the spinning chamber 2 a subatmospheric pressure is not any longer maintained in the space 13, it happens quite frequently that the end of the yarn 3 is pulled out from the outlet passage 4 by air streams acting on the yarn portion 3 outside of the outlet passage, even if rotation of the withdrawal roll 16 is stopped simultaneously with stoppage of rotation of the spinning chamber 2. Such withdrawal of the yarn end from the spinning chamber and the outlet passage required up to now manual reinsertion of the yarn end into the outlet passage 4 and the spinning chamber 2 before the spinning process could be resumed after stopping of the spinning chamber. This obviously caused undesirable delay of resumption of the spinning process.

The present invention provides for a device obviating this disadvantage.

The device may comprise, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, gripping means including a two-armed lever 5, pivotally mounted intermediate its ends for tilting about a tilting axis 14 so as to be movable between a releasing position, as shown in FIG. 1, in which a gripping portion 6 at one end of the lever arranged adjacent the outlet end 7 of the outlet passage 4 is spaced from a stationary member '8 arranged opposite the gripping portion 6 so that the yarn 3 may freely pass through the space between the stationary member 8 and the gripping portion 6 of the lever, and a gripping position, as shown in FIG. 2, in which the gripping portion 6 is nearly in engagement with the stationary member 8 so as to tightly grip a portion of the yarn passing therebetween. The gripping means include further biasing means, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as a tension spring 9, connected at one end thereof to a stationary part of the only partially illustrated frame of the spinning device and at the other end to the lever arm 5 and biased so as to yieldably maintain the gripping means in the gripping position thereof, as shown in FIG. 2.

The gripping device includes further operating means influenced by the air pressure in the spinning chamber 2 and cooperating with the gripping means, that is the lever 5, 10 to move the latter to the releasing position thereof shown in FIG. 1 when, during rotation of the spinning chamber 2, a subatmospheric. pressure is produced therein. The operating means may include chamber means 12, preferably in the form of a cylinder having an open end, and movable means, preferably in the form of a piston 11 slidably guided in the cylinder and closing the open end thereof. The interior of the cylinder 12 is in constant communication with the space 13 in the spinning chamber 2 through a tube 22, as schematically illustrated by the dotted line in FIG. 1, so that in the interior of the piston 12 a pressure equal to the pressure in the space 13 of the spinning chamber is maintained. The piston 11 is connected to the free end of the lever arm 10 by a rod 23 having a bent end 23 engaging in slot 24 formed in the lever arm 10 at the free end thereof,

The operation of the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be obvious from the above description. During normal operation of the spinning device in which the spinning chamber 2 is rotated at high speed about its axis, a subatmospheric pressure will be created in the space 13, and therefore a subatmospheric pressure Will also be maintained in the cylinder 12 to the left side of the piston 11, as viewed in FIG. 1. Atmospheric pressure acting on the right face of the piston, as viewed in FIG. 1, will therefore move the piston 11 to the position as shown in FIG. 1 against the force of the spring 9 so that the gripping portion 6 of the lever will be maintained spaced from the opposite face of the stationary member 8 and so that the yarn 3 continuously produced in the spinning chamber may pass freely between the gripping portion 6 of the lever and the opposite face of the stationary member to be wound continuously onto the bob bin 17. When rotation of the spinning chamber 2 is stopped, the pressure in the space 13 will be equal to atmospheric pressure so that equal forces will act on opposite sides of the piston 11. The piston therefore will be no longer maintained by atmospheric pressure in the position as shown in FIG. 1, and the tension spring 9 will tilt the lever 5, 10 in counterclockwise direction about its pivot axis 14 so that the gripping portion 6 of the lever will move towards the face of the stationary member 8 and clamp a portion of yarn 3 adjacent the outlet end 7 of the outlet passage 4 between the face of the stationary member '8 and the gripping portion 6 of the lever. The yarn 3 is thus tightly gripped at a portion thereof adjacent to the outlet end 7 of the outlet passage so that withdrawal of the yarn by exterior forces, for instance air drafts or the like, will no longer be possible and the end of the yarn will be maintained in the outlet passage 4.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of a gr pp ng device to be used, in combination with a ringless spinnlng mechanism as described above. The gripping device illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 may include a block 1? formed from nonmagnetizable material and provided with a passage 7 therethrough which forms a continuation of the outlet passage 4 of the spinning chamber 2. A cylinder space 20 is formed in the block 19 extending transverse to the passage 7' and being open toward one side of this passage, the cylinder space is closed at the opposite side and communicates with the space 13 in the rotating spinning chamber 2 through a conduit 22 or the like as schematically indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 3. The gripping member in this arrangement is constituted by a piston 18 of magnetizable material having an end face 18' facing and being, in the releasing position as shown in FIG. 3, spaced from a corresponding end face of biasing means 21 in the form of a magnet, preferably a permanent magnet, tightly fitted in a corresponding bore formed in the block 19 at the side of the passage 7' therethrough opposite from the cylinder space 20.

The operation of the gripping device illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be obvious from the above description. When during fast rotation of the spinning chamber 2 a subatmospheric pressure is maintained in the space 13, this subatmospheric pressure will be transmitted to the cylinder space 20 so that the piston 18 slidably located therein will be maintained by the atmospheric pressure acting on the end face 18 thereof in the releasing position as shown in FIG. 3 against the attracting force of the permanent magnet 21 so that the yarn 3 spun in the spinning chamber may freely pass between the end face 18' of the piston and the corresponding face of the magnet 21. On the other hand, when rotation of the spinning chamber 2 is stopped, atmospheric pressure will be maintained in the space 13 and also in the interior of the cylinder space 20. Therefore, atmospheric pressure will act on both sides of the piston 18 and the latter will be moved by the attracting force of the magnet 21 to the gripping position, as shown in FIG. 4, in which a portion of the yarn 3 is tightly gripped between the end face 18' of the piston and the corresponding face of the magnet.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further modification of the gripping device which is very similar to the gripping device illusstrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the only difference being that the block 19' is not formed with a bore in which a permanent :magnet 21 is located, and the biasing means which urge the piston 18 toward the left, as viewed in FIG. 5, are in this case not constituted by the attracting force of a permanent magnet, but by a compression spring 25 located in the cylinder space 20 and engaging with one end thereof the piston 18 to urge the latter toward the left, as viewed in FIG. 5, in engagement with a face of the block 19' opposite the end face 18' of the piston. The cylinder space 20 is again through a conduit 22 in communication with the space 13 in the spinning chamber 2 (not illustrated in FIG. 5) so that during maintenance of subatmospheric pressure in the spinning chamber, the piston 18 is moved against the force of the biasing means or spring 25 from the gripping position, as shown in FIG. 5, to a releasing position in which the end face 18' of the piston is spaced from the corresponding face of the block 19' so that the yarn 3 may freely pass therebetween when the spinning chamber is rotating,

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of device for preventing withdrawal of yarn from a spinning mechanism for continuous ringless spinning of textile fibers during the stop ping of the mechanism diifering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a device for preventing withdrawal of yarn from a spinning mechanism for continuous ringless spinning of textile fibers during stopping of rotation of a spinning chamber forming part of the spinning mechanism, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for preventing, during stopping of a spinning mechanism for continuous ringless spinning of textile fibers in a rotatable spinning chamber in which subatmospheri-c pressure is created during rotation thereof, withdrawal of yarn from the outlet passage of the spinning mechanism, said device comprising, in combination, gripping means in the region of the outlet end of the outlet passage and being movable between a gripping position gripping a portion of a yarn passing through said outlet passage and a releasing position permitting free movement of the yarn through and beyond said outlet passage, said gripping mechanism being constructed so as to tend to stay in said gripping position; and operating means influenced by the air pressure in said spinning chamber and cooperating with said gripping means to move the latter to said releasing position when during rotation of said spinning chamber subatmospheric pressure is created therein so that said gripping means will be in said gripping position during standstill of said spinning chamber.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said gripping means comprises a gripping member movable between said gripping and said releasing positions and biasing means cooperating with said gripping member to yieldably maintain the latter in said gripping position.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said biasing means comp-rises a spring.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein at least a portion of said gripping member is of magnetizable material, and wherein said biasing means comprises a magnet.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said operating means comprises pneumatic means communicating with said spinning chamber and cooperating with said gripping means for moving the latter to said releasing position when during rotation of said spinning chamber a subatmospheric pressure is created in the latter.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said gripping means comprises a movable gripping member having a gripping portion in the region of the outlet end of said outlet passage and a fixed member opposite and spaced from said gripping portion in the releasing position of said gripping means so that a yarn may pass freely through the space between said fixed member and said gripping portion, and biasing means continuously biasing said gripping portion toward said fixed member so as to grip a portion of the yarn therebetween when said gripping means is in said gripping position.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein said movable gripping member comprises a two-armed lever having said gripping portion at one end thereof and being tiltable between said gripping and releasing positions about a tilting axis intermediate the ends thereof, said operating means being connected to the other end of said lever.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein said operating means comprises chamber means having an open end and communicating with said spinning chamber, and movable means fluid-tightly closing said open end and being moved in one direction when the interior of the chamber means is at subatmospheric pressure, said movable means being connected to said other end of said lever to move said gripping portion thereof away from said fixed member when the interior of said spinning chamber and said chamber means communicating with said spinning chamber are at subatmospheric pressure.

9. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein said operating means comprises a cylinder communicating with the interior of said spinning chamber, and a piston fluidtightly guided in said cylinder and connected to said other end of said lever.

10. A device as defined in claim 9, wherein said biasing means comprises a spring connected to said lever.

11. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said gripping means comprises a piston having an end face and a stationary member having a face opposite and spaced from said end face when said gripping means is in said releasing position so that a yarn may pass freely through the space between said stationary member and said end face of said piston, and biasing means continuously biasing said piston toward said stationary member so as to grip a portion of the yarn between said end face of said piston and said opposite face of said stationary member when said gripping means is in said gripping position, said operating means comprising a cylinder communicating with said spinning chamber and fluid-tightly guiding said piston so as to move the latter to said releasing position when during rotation of said spinning chamber subatmospheric pressure is created therein.

12. A device as defined in claim 11, wherein said biasing means comprises a spring engaging said piston for biasing said end face thereof against said opposite face of said stationary member.

113. A device as defined in claim 11, wherein at least part of said piston in the region of said end face thereof is of magnetizable material, and wherein said stationary member is a magnet and constitutes said biasing means.

References Cited FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

D. E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR PREVENTING, DURING STOPPING OF A SPINNING MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS RINGLESS SPINNING OF TEXTILE FIBERS IN A ROTATBLE SPINNING CHAMBER IN WHICH SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS CREATED DURING ROTATION THEREOF, WITHDRAWAL OF YARN FROM THE OUTLET PASSAGE OF THE SPINNING MECHANISM, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, GRIPPING MEANS IN THE REGION OF THE OUTLET END OF THE OUTLET PASSAGE AND BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A GRIPPING POSITION GRIPPING A PORTION OF A YARN PASSING THROUGH SAID OUTLET PASSAGE AND A RELEASING POSITION PERMITTING FREE MOVEMENT OF THE YARN THROUGH AND BEYOND SAID OUTLET PASSAGE, SAID GRIPPING MECHANISM BEING CONSTRUCTED SO AS TO TEND TO STAY IN SAID GRIPPING POSITION; AND OPERATING MEANS INFLUENCED BY THE AIR PRESSURE IN SAID SPINNING CHAMBER AND COOPERATING WITH SAID GRIPPING MEANS TO MOVE THE LATTER TO SAID RELEASING POSITION WHEN DURING ROTATION OF SAID SPINNING CHAMBER SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS CREATED THEREIN SO THAT SAID GRIPPING MEANS WILL BE IN SAID GRIPPING POSITION DURING STANDSTILL OF SAID SPINNING CHAMBER. 